What If?

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“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” 

John 15:1-5

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These words of Jesus have often moved me because of the promise of fruitfulness and the comfort abiding brings. (I recently wrote a blog on this idea, Where is the Fruit?) Isn’t there something reassuring in knowing our job is to simply remain in Him, being a channel of His life, hope, and love to a world lost and stumbling about?  Doesn’t knowing we are merely to abide take so much pressure off us to produce?  Just abide in Him and let God bring the growth! 

Every year, my husband prunes his grapevines. This year was no exception.  It was a beautiful morning as I sat on the back porch, sipping my coffee and watching him prune.  He took the time and considered where to prune and where to leave the growth alone.  The green growth is impressive when left to its own devices, but the fruit is lacking, so every year, he takes the time to prune the vines. Once the vines are pruned, the fruit begins to appear more abundantly. 

In ancient Israel, the grapevines were not trained onto grape vines. They were left down on the ground, but when found unproductive, they were lifted onto a rock to get more sun and air. A vine set on a rock needed extra care and attention.  Some commentators think the word aireo in Greek, translated in the NLT as cut-off, is better translated to lift up. 

If lifting up an unproductive vine is the correct understanding of this word, aireo, then this opens a whole new understanding of these verses.  

A vine that wasn’t producing was given another chance to produce, and that chance was given through more intense exposure to the sun, rain, and wind. The unproductive branch or vine buried under other vines’ growth would now be exposed to the elements.  It had for a time been somewhat unnoticed and left to its’ own devices to stay alive.  But now, the gardener lifted the hidden vine up on a rock, and for the first time, the vine was made to face the elements.  The exposure, although a bit harsh for the vine at first, would allow the vine to grow deeper, stronger, and bigger.  This exposure would allow for maturity and hardiness to be produced. And before long, the unproductive vine would begin producing luscious grapes- doing what a grapevine was meant to do.  

Isn’t this true of our walk with Jesus?  Sometimes we think we are hiding from the radar of God’s watch care, and then God lovingly pulls us out of our tangled mess and sets us on a rock.  Billy Graham said, “Most fruit is grown in the valley.”  Not an easy statement but a true one.  Maybe this is what Jesus says to us here, “If you are unproductive, I will take you and put you on a rock, in a hard place, exposing whatever is keeping you from faithfully serving me.  And when the storms of life come, it may seem a bit harsh but hang on, dear one; I have you.  I am not done with you-I am making you productive for me.  The exposure to the storms of life is what you need to grow.”

What if Jesus meant “lift up” instead of “cut off” every branch that doesn’t bear fruit?  What if he was teaching that he would do everything possible to make us more and more like him, including lifting us on a rock, putting us in a hard place, and exposing us to the harsh storms of life?  What if this had to do with second chances at abiding? What if Jesus is saying, dear one, be patient because through this challenging time, you will become productive, and then you will be able to merely abide in Me and become the branch I always meant for you to be?  What if?